Wireless control transmitter

ABSTRACT

A wireless control transmitter for remotely controlling a controlled body of a wireless control apparatus by an electromagnetic wave, which comprises a grip to be grasped by a dominant hand of a user, a throttle trigger lever slidably protruding along a lower surface of a controller provided at a head portion of the grip and for controlling forward and backward movements of the controlled body, and a steering wheel arranged on the upper surface of an end portion of the controller and for controlling right and left turns of the controlled body, wherein the steering wheel tilts and fixes its axial direction toward a particular direction with respect to the controller.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a wireless control transmitter, and awireless control transmitter having a steering wheel convenientlyoperational for any of left-handed and right-handed users.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

In a wireless control transmitter for controlling a wireless controltype toy vehicle and the like, two types of control section exist, thatis a stick type and a wheel type. The stick type is a wireless controltransmitter for controlling with a stick both control signal generatingresistance of a steering and control signal generating resistance ofspeed. In a wireless control transmitter with usual transmission signalof two channels, two sticks are arranged both right and left, the shapesof the sticks are same, and difference of the sticks on the right andleft is small.

While, the wheel type is a wireless control transmitter for controllingthe control signal generating resistance of the steering with a wheel ofminiature of a steering wheel and for controlling the control signalgenerating resistance of the speed with a throttle trigger. Control isconvenient because the steering is controlled in rotational motion androtational movements of a vehicle and the wheel are consistent.

However, means for controlling is the wheel and the throttle trigger,which are completely different in shape and arrangement in the wirelesscontrol transmitter is asymmetry. Usually, the throttle trigger isarranged to be controlled by a left hand and the wheel is arranged to beoperated by a right hand. In this case, the arrangement is conceived fora right-handed user, which is not always convenient for a left-handeduser to operate.

The shapes of the controlling means are also completely different, sincesimple exchange of both functions, such as electrical control of thewheel velocity, control of the steering by the throttle trigger and thelike, may not overcome the problem at all.

Manufacturing a wireless control transmitter only for a left-handed useris too costly for manufacturers of the wireless control transmitter sothat manufacturing has been substantially difficult, because the numberof manufactured products is small.

In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication H10-314463, a main bodyprovided with the steering wheel and a grip are attachable anddetachable and the directions of the steering wheel and the grip arevariable. Size of the structure, however, increases by accompanying areplaceable contact section, which causes a problem of wearing.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a wirelesscontrol transmitter which is compact and easy to operate for any of aright-handed user and a left-handed user.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve the aforementioned problems, a wireless controltransmitter according to the present invention comprises a grip to begrasped by a dominant hand of a user, a throttle trigger lever slidablyprotruding along a lower surface of a controller provided at a headportion of this grip and for controlling forward and backward movementsof the controlled body, and a steering wheel arranged on the uppersurface of an end portion of the controller and for controlling rightand left turns of the controlled body. This steering wheel can be fixedby tilting its axial direction toward a particular direction withrespect to the controller.

A back surface of the steering wheel is provided with a position fixingpart, and cylindrical portions are protruded on the upper and lower endsof this position fixing part. The end part of this cylindrical portionis provided with a partially-toothed-gear edge comprising apartially-toothed-gear and the vicinity of joint of the othercylindrical portion with the position fixing part is provided with acylindrical end part comprising a partially-toothed-gear. A controlleris provided with two circular pores. When this position fixing partmoves so that inner teeth of both inner circumferences of these circularpores and the partially-toothed-gear edge are engaged, the positionfixing part is fixed on the controller, and when the position fixingpart moves to a position such that the cylindrical end parts are mountedin the circular pores, the position fixing part becomes slidable to thecontroller.

A guiding axis is protruded parallel to a cylinder from the positionfixing part in the hollow inner part of the partially-toothed-gear edge,and a spring is arranged on the guiding axis for integration, wherebythis spring surpresses the controller to engage thepartially-toothed-gear edge into the circular pores.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall view showing an example of a wireless controltransmitter in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 (a) is a top view showing an example of a wireless controltransmitter in accordance with the present invention, wherein a steeringwheel is tilted to the right and (b) is a top view thereof, and istilted to the left,

FIG. 3 (a) is a perspective view of an engaging part of a steering wheelshowing an example of a wireless control transmitter in accordance withthe present invention, (b) is a side view thereof, (c) is a top viewthereof in the engaged condition and (d) is a top view thereof in thefitted condition,

FIG. 4 (a) is a back view of a steering wheel and a position fixing partshowing an example of a wireless control transmitter in accordance withthe present invention, (b) is a front view of the position fixing partthereof, and (c) is a perspective view of combination thereof.

BEST MODE FOR WORKING THE INVENTION

Other details, advantages, and features of the present invention aredescribed in following embodiments with reference to accompanieddrawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, in a wireless control transmitter in accordance withthe present invention, a main body 2 of the wireless control transmitteris joined with a grip 4 and a controller 6 at an upper part of this grip4. An upper surface of an end of a grip joining side of the controller 6is provided with a steering wheel 8 in a rotatable and tiltable manner.While, a throttle trigger lever 10 is slidably provided in the vicinityof the grip 4 on a lower surface of the controller 6.

The steering wheel 8 is capable of tilting in the right and left asshown in FIGS. 2 (a) and (b). This steering wheel 8 is needed to bestructured so as to rotate around a center axis of the steering wheel 8for performing intrinsic function thereof and further to tilt withreference to an axis which is perpendicular to the center axis and alsoparallel to a rotational plane of the steering wheel 8, whereby thesteering wheel 8 is capable of tilting.

A rotation mechanism of a direction of an tilting axis is describedusing FIG. 3 and a steering rotation mechanism centered on a steeringtrim is described in reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 3 (a) is a perspective view of an engaging part of a steering wheelshowing an example of a wireless control transmitter in accordance withthe present invention, (b) is a side view thereof, (c) is a top viewthereof in the engaged condition and (d) is a top view thereof in thefitted condition.

A position fixing part 12 is arranged in a horizontal direction of thebackside of the steering wheel 8. The steering rotation mechanism isincorporated in the inner part of the position fixing part 12. An upperpillar portion 14 is protruded upwardly on a center part of an uppersurface of the position fixing part 12, a lower pillar portion 16 isprotruded downwardly on a center part of a lower surface of the positionfixing part 12. The upper end of this upper pillar portion 14 is apillar and further teeth 20 are provided in a partially-toothed-gearshape around the pillar in a vicinity of a joint with the positionfixing part 12. While, teeth 22 are provided in a partially-toothed-gearshape at a lower end of the lower pillar portion 16 and vicinity of thejoint with the position fixing part 12 is formed into cylinder shape.

The steering wheel 8 is arranged by inserting the position fixing part12 into a position fixing pore 25 formed at a top of the controller 6.An upper part and a lower part of the position fixing pore 25 areprovided with inner toothed pores 27 and 29 toothed with inner teeth 26and 27, respectively. When the position fixing part 12 is inserted intothe position fixing pore 25, the pillar portions 14, and 22 are insertedinto the inner toothed pores 27 and 29, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the lower pillar portion 16 is hollow, and aspring axis 24 is protruded along the inside of the lower pillar portion16 from the lower surface of the position fixing part 12. When the lowerpillar portion 16 is inserted into the inner toothed pore 29, a spring18 is arranged between an outer plate 34 of the controller 6 and thespring axis 24. This spring 18 is longer than distance between the outerplate 34 and the spring axis 24 to press the outer plate 34 and thespring axis 24, whereby a whole of the steering wheel 8 is constitutedto be always pressed upwardly to the position fixing pre 25.

Namely, as shown in FIG. 3 (c), the steering wheel 8 and the positionfixing part 12 are arranged to be pressed toward the upper part of thecontroller 6, that is upper right in the drawing. Then, the teeth 20toothed in the upper pillar portion 14 and the inner teeth 26 in theside of the inner toothed pore 27 are engaged and the teeth 22 toothedin the lower pillar portion 16 and the inner teeth 32 in the side of theinner toothed pore 29 are engaged. Therefore, when the pillar portion isan axis, the steering wheel 8 is fixed and unable to rotate.

While, as shown in FIG. 3 (d), when pressing the steering wheel 8 towardthe lower side of the controller 6, that is lower left in the drawing,by an external force, the spring 18 decreases in length and the steeringwheel 8 and each pillar portion move toward lower left side. Therefore,the engagement of the teeth 20 toothed in the upper pillar portion 14and the inner teeth 26 of the side of the inner toothed pore 27 isreleased so that the upper pillar portion 14 is inserted into the innerteeth 26 and also engagement of the teeth 22 toothed in the lower pillarportion 16 and the inner teeth 32 of the side of the inner toothed pore29 is released so that the lower pillar portion 16 is inserted into theinner teeth 32. Thus, in this time the steering wheel 8 is constitutedin a rotatable manner around an axis of the pillar portion. Namely, asshown in FIG. 2 (a) and (b), the steering wheel 8 is capable to tiltingin the right and left without interfering with a rotation of a steeringrotation mechanism, in accordance with a dominant hand of the user forthe controller 6.

In reference to FIG. 4, a steering rotation mechanism centered on asteering wheel rotational axis is described. FIG. 4 shows (a) a backsurface of the steering wheel 8, (b) a layout plan of the positionfixing part 12 and (c) a perspective view combining the steering wheel 8and the position fixing part 12.

As shown in FIG. 4 (a), in the rotation mechanism of this steering wheel8, the position fixing part 12 and the steering wheel 8 are installed ina rotatable manner at a steering trim 53 as the axis.

A left screw tubular pillar 48 and a right screw tubular pillar 50 areprotruded on a horizontal line passing through a wheel axis on the backsurface of the steering wheel 8, respectively. When the steering wheel 8is combined with the position fixing part 12, these screw tubularpillars are inserted into a beans-type opening 62 for left screw tubularpillar and a beans-type opening 64 for right screw tubular pillarprovided in the right and left of the position fixing part 12, where arotational angle of the steering wheel 8 is defined by length of theopening 62 for the left screw tubular pillar and opening 64 for theright screw tubular pillar.

An upper fixing plate 44 is arranged in an uppermost part of arotational axis in the back surface of the steering wheel 8, and a lowerfixing plate 46 is also arranged directly under the rotational axis inthe back surface.

A pivot shaft 56 is protruded in a direction of the steering wheel 8 atthe center of the bottom of the position fixing part 12. A pivot plate54 with an axis hole 57 at its end is arranged on this pivot shaft 56 ina rotatable manner around the pivot shaft 56. The middle part of thewhole length of the pivot plate 54 is curved in a semicircle shape, anda terminal part of the pivot plate 54 opposite to the axis hole 57 withreference to the semicircular part is provided with a pivot plate springfixture 68. A spring fixture 66 of the position fixing part side isarranged on an upper surface of the position fixing part 12 in relationto the pivot plate spring fixture 68. A spring 70 for pivot plate isarranged between the pivot plate spring fixture 68 and the springfixture 66 of the position fixing part side.

The steering wheel 8 and the position fixing part 12 are arranged inthis manner, thereby when the steering wheel 8 is rotated in a clockwisedirection on the drawing in FIG. 4 (a), the upper fixing plate 44presses an upper fixing plate joint position 60 of the upper part of thepivot plate 54. Therefore, the pivot plate spring fixture 68 and thespring fixture 66 of the position fixing part side are spaced and thespring 70 for pivot plate is extended. Force toward a neutral directionacts on the pivot plate 54 by resilience of the spring 70 for pivotplate.

While, when the steering wheel 8 is rotated counterclockwise on thedrawing in FIG. 4 (a), the lower fixing plate 46 presses a lower fixingplate joint position 58 of the lower part of the pivot plate 54.Similarly, the pivot plate spring fixture 68 and the spring fixture 66of position fixing part side are spaced and the spring 70 for pivotplate is extended. Therefore, the force toward the neutral directionacts on the pivot plate 54 by resilience of the spring 70 for the pivotplate.

Namely, even if the steering wheel 8 is rotated in any direction, theforce acts in the neutral direction that the steering wheel 8 returns.

The steering wheel 8 is constituted as described above, thereby thesteering wheel 8 is arranged in a rotatable manner around the axisdirection without being interfered by the rotation mechanism of atilting axis direction. Namely, even if the steering wheel 8 is tiltedin a direction of either right or left with reference to the controller6 in accordance with a dominant hand of a user, steering controlfunction is not affected.

Consequently, because of the above-mentioned movement, the wheel typewireless control transmitter is easy to operate for both a right-handeduser and a left-handed user.

For instance, no matter what a tilting direction due to a dominant handis, operationality is equal and a user can use in no way inferior.Obviously, wheel operation with a hand convenient for a user is enabledregardless of innate dominant hand.

The steering wheel is also capable of returning to a neutral position ofa wheel by using only one spring, whereby malfunction during operationsuch as lock of the steering wheel in the rotating condition can beprevented from occurring.

Manufacturing the wheel type wireless control transmitter for purpose ofboth a right-handed and left-handed users can eliminate the need forseparately manufacturing wheel type wireless control transmitters foreach dominant hand.

1. A wireless control transmitter for remotely controlling a controlledbody of a wireless control apparatus by an electromagnetic wave,comprising a grip to be grasped by a dominant hand of a user, a throttletrigger lever slidably protruding along a lower surface of a controllerprovided at a head portion of the grip and for controlling forward andbackward movement of the controlled body, and a steering wheel arrangedon the upper surface of an end portion of the controller and forcontrolling right and left turns of the controlled body, wherein thesteering wheel is capable of tilting and fixing its axial directiontoward a particular direction with respect to the controller.
 2. Awireless control transmitter as claimed in claim 1, wherein a backsurface of the steering wheel is provided with a position fixing part,cylindrical portions are protruded at upper and lower ends of theposition fixing part, an end part of the cylincrical portion is providedwith a partially-toothed-gear edge comprising a partially-toothed-gear,the vicinity of joint of the other cylindrical portion with the positionfixing part is provided with a cylindrical end part comprising thepartially-toothed-gear, the controller is provided with two circularpores, when the position fixing part moves so that inner teeth of bothinner circumferences of these circular pores and thepartially-toothed-gear edge are engaged, the position fixing part isfixed on the controller, and when the position fixing part moves to aposition such that the cylindrical end parts are mounted in the circularpores, the position fixing part becomes slidable to the controller.
 3. Awireless control transmitter as claimed in claim 2, wherein a guidingaxis is protruded parallel to a cylinder from the position fixing partin a hollow inner part of the partially-toothed-gear edge, a spring isarranged on this guiding axis to unify, whereby this spring presses thecontroller to engage the partially-toothed-gear edge into the circularpores.